Latch for sashes.



a. LIEB.

LATCH FOR SASHES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. I915.

1,176,379. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

INVENTOR ATTNEYS T FFTE GEORGE LIEIB, or NEWARK, nnw annsn'r.

LATCH FOB SASHES.

Application filed July 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE. LIEB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Sashes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a latch for holding sliding sashes, and is adapted for use in numerous constructions of such sashes,

being particularly adapted for use on light sashes such as shdmg screens, and to make the invention plain it is described herein as employed on a, screen.

The latch is designed to swing on a pivot, and it has a handle which is disposed to assist the latch in maintaining its locking position on opposite sides of the pivot, the handle also projecting from the edge of the latch inward so as not to form any projection to interfere with the rotation of the latch. The latch is used above and below its pivot and it is held in either position by gravity and it is thus available for locking the sash down when it is down and to lock it against descent when the sash is raised.

Theinvention is cheaply made, can be attached by anyone capable of using tools and is simple.

The invention is illustrated in the accoInpanying drawing, in which one type of my latch is shown secured to a screen.

In Figure 1 I show the bottom part of a screen and window frame with the latch swung to a position to lock the screen against being raised. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the latchshown in Fig. 1, this view showing a corner of the screen. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a view showing the sash raised and with the latch in position to lock it in its raised position. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch shown in the preceding figures.

In the drawings I show the element to be locked in the form of-a sash for a screen, the sash 10 having a suitable handle as 11 for raising and lowering the sash, these sashes however, especially in dry weather when the wood is contracted, sliding freely and dropping with a slam when released from a raised position. The sash slides on suitable guides, the usual form of guiding means and the one shown in the drawing comprising T-shaped strips 12 secured to the frame 13, the strips 12 having their Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1%)16.

Serial No. 37,419.

tongues 14: fitting in the grooves 15 in each slde of the sash 10.

The latch is secured at any desired point, but I refer to fasten 1t near the bottom of the screen at one side so that it can be easily operated, being on a line with the handle 11 so that both hands, one on the handle of the screen and one on the latch, are in comfortable positions.

The latch' in Figs. 1 to 5 is made of sheet metal, being preferably formed from a plate it having its edge bent to form a marginal r m or flange 17. The plate swings on a pivot of a suitable form, the plate swinging freely. In the form shown in the drawing the pivot consists of a screw 18 which passes through a perforation 19 in the plate 16. The perforation is arranged eccentrically in the plate 16 and the screw is placed on the frame so that the gripping edge of the latch can be swung beyond the side edge of the screen to engage the inner face 20 of the frame 13. The screw is placed so that the distance from the screw to the point in the gripping edge of the latch farthest from the pivot is greater than the distance from the screw to the inner face 20 of the frame. When the sash is down and the latch is swung to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sash can not be raised because any upward push on the sash causes a slight rolling or turning of the latch which is pressing against the inner face 20, and this forces or squeezes the sash tightly against its guide or track on the opposite side, as at 21, and the harder it is pushed the tighter it binds. The latch, even if not tightly forced into place when it is first put in locking position, is held in position by its own weight and forced tightly into place when the sash is subjected to upward pressure.

When the latch is to be released it is swung upward and inward over its pivot and then allowed to drop to the position shown in Fig. i. The sash can then be raised, but if the sash is raised and it is desired to lower it, the latch must be held away from the edge 20 and it is then free to be raised and lowered at will. If, however, the latch in the position shown in Fig. i is allowed to engage the inner face 20 of the frame, it forms a stop or lock since it forces the screen sidewise and causes it to bind at the edge 21 and the latch is also tightly forced against the face 20 of the frame.

The screen can thus be held at any desired 7 The latch can be made of diiferent materials height when the latch is in the. position shown in Fig. 4. The latch is held in both its operative positions, that is, in readiness to operate, by its weight. To provide for an easier and quicker handling, and to give the device more gravity so as to insure that it stays in position, I provide a suitable'handle which is shown in the illustration at 22, being bent from the material of the latch and connected thereto by a strip 23. Other forms of handles diiferently attached to the latch may be used.

I prefer to make the flange or rim 17 slightly tapered, which causes the edge 24 to form a good biting or engaging edge especially when it operates on a Wooden frame l3. The handle 22 is preferably folded over on the latch so as to avoid any projections to interfere with the easy rotation or swinging of the latch on its pivot since no part engages the edge 20 but the gripping or engaging edge of the latch.

and in different forms so long as a gripping edge'of sufficient length is provided to enable the latch to lock itself against the edge 20. J

It will be evident that certain details of construction can be altered Without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A latch'for sliding sashes comprising a metal plate with a rim turned up to form a curved engaging edge, the plate having a perforation eccentric to the said edge, and a handle integral with said plate for its manip ulationand for Weighting it so that it is normally suspendedin locking position against downward movement of the sash, the handle projecting inwardly from said rim.- 7

In testimony that I claim theforegoing, I hereto set my hand, this 30th day of June.

1915. GEORGE 'LIEB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing" the "Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. c." 

